Meet The Leaf : Brett Lebda

Born January 15, 1982 (1982-01-15) (age 28),
Buffalo Grove, IL, USA
Height
Weight 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb)
Position Defense
Shoots Left
NHL team
F. teams Toronto Maple Leafs
Detroit Red Wings
NHL Draft Undrafted
Playing career 2004–present


Lebda attended Buffalo Grove High School for 2 years, where he also played golf and volleyball. He then relocated to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he was a participant on the USA National Under-18 Team. He graduated from Ann Arbor Pioneer High School.

Lebda played college hockey at the University of Notre Dame. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Detroit Red Wings in 2004, and was assigned to the Grand Rapids Griffins, the Wings' minor league affiliate in the American Hockey League. Lebda was unable to suit up for a NHL game until the 2005–06 NHL season due to the NHL lockout. He became the first Red Wing since Greg Johnson in 1993 to score his first NHL goal on opening night. He played in 46 games that regular season and all of Detroit's six opening round playoff games.

He played in 76 games during the 2006–07 NHL season to go with 12 games that playoff year. He set a career high in points with 18, and participated in the only fight of his career when he squared off against Mikael Holmqvist.

In the 2007–08 NHL season, Lebda suited up for 78 games, as well as 19 playoff games as the Red Wings won the 2008 Stanley Cup.

Due to sub-par play to start the 2008–09 NHL season, Lebda found himself a healthy scratch for three straight games before returning to the lineup.

During his career, Lebda was often paired with Chris Chelios, a fellow Chicago suburban native who is 20 years his elder. While growing up in suburban Chicago, Lebda considered Chelios an idol, and modeled his game after his.

On July 7, 2010 Lebda signed a two year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Source : Wikipedia